The Pampered One

Xia Man had been good-looking since childhood and came from a well-off family, so he should have had a considerable advantage when it came to finding a match. Yet when the villagers brought it up, they were far from full of praise as usual. There was only one reason: Xia Man was too spoiled. Who in the village could wear cotton clothes all year round? Xia Man. Who in the village could grind and eat fine flour every year? Xia Man. So when people heard that the village’s lame man was going to marry Xia Man, they erupted, all eager to see how things would turn out. A spoiled darling and a lame man. How could they possibly make a life together? The villagers weren’t the only ones in an uproar. The lame man’s mother was, too. But her son had his heart set on Xia Man. When Xia Man went up the mountain, he weeded. When Xia Man went fishing, he carved a pole. If Xia Man told him to go east, he wouldn’t go west. Xia Man had never met anyone like him. He hated prickly vines, so the other man cleared away every last one of them from the fruiting vines. Xia Man said he wanted to go fishing in the mountains in a few days. The other man flattened all the weeds along the path and ran up the mountain every day. Xia Qianshan knew of Xia Man. Xia Man was the most beautiful young man for miles around, but the two of them didn’t actually meet until they were in town. When they met again, Xia Man said he didn’t like prickly vines and wanted to go fishing by the stream, but had never been. Xia Qianshan thought, then I’ll clear away all the prickly vines Xia Man doesn’t like. If I want to see him again, I’ll just keep running up the mountain. Sooner or later, he would meet Xia Man again. Sooner or later, he would find his way into Xia Man’s heart. Theme: Stay optimistic and life will be full of joy!